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Privacy NoticeWe have never been more aware of our carbon footprint, and whether you’re opting out of fast fashion, going vegan or ditching your diesel car – more and more of us are making informed decisions in a bid to do our bit to help the planet. When Covid locked us all down, the air quality saw a vast improvement – in fact we witnessed an 8.8% decrease in global CO2 emissions in some of the world’s busiest cities – a stat we marvelled at as nature started to reap the benefits of humans being less… well, human. And with temperatures soaring to the highest they have ever been in many parts of the world this year, there really is no excuse not to switch up certain aspects of your life to lessen the load on this rock we call home. Lucky for us, many businesses (though still not enough!) are are also doing what they can to ensure enjoying the luxuries of life doesn’t have to come at the cost of the planet.
The Titanic Spa in Huddersfield is the UK’s first ‘eco-spa’
One such place is the Titanic Spa in Huddersfield – the UK’s first ‘eco-spa’. The former mill, situated in the picturesque hills of the north of England, has invested a huge £1.5m in a bid to become a carbon-neutral building, giving eco-conscious spa-lovers a guilt-free option for the first time. It uses renewable energy systems, including solar roof panels, has installed windows to lower draughts and maintain the building’s heat while using energy-efficient lighting and appliances. The spa also includes an energy-saving laundry system to help with he high turnover of robes and towels. To see how the UK’s first ever eco-spa fared in comparison to their ‘non-eco’ counterparts, we headed for an overnight star (from £179pp per night) and, honestly, it was wonderful. The building itself is pretty impressive; it’s a former Edwardian textile mill called Titanic Mill, named so after being launched the same year as RMS Titanic in 1911.
It was redeveloped into Titanic Spa in 2005 and has kept a lot of the original features, giving it a wonderfully historic feel. They have set new standards in eco builds and the theme features heavily in their ethos, even choosing product partners that fit into the same green vibe. They still offer buttery-soft robes and slippers but also use their own natural water sources, as an example (the site sits on a natural spring 100 metres down!) The spa stay includes relaxing lounges, a swimming pool, an outdoor hot-tub and a wonderful heat and ice experience, as well as a self-contained apartment that would be at home on Airbnb. It boasts charging points for electric vehicles, which are becoming increasingly popular, and recycles as many products as it can from its overnight guests. But outside of its brilliant eco features, at the heart of it it is simply a great spa, offering everything you could ask for from an award-winning location – including a sensational menu filled with fresh local produce.
The menu was delicious and filled with fresh local produce
As part of our eco-trip, we also tried out the Volkswagen ID Buzz, an electric homage to the iconic VW camper. And yes, it looks just as good! In fact, it looked so good, we were stopped four times by petrol-heads obsessing over the iconic van’s newbie – all of them visibly surprised that it was electric. Tesla who? The comfort was next level – it felt like driving around in an arm chair! Also, because it was electric, it meant our drive from London was easier as we could drive through parts of the City otherwise out of bounds for anyone in a petrol/diesel vehicle – the VIP London experience, if you like.
Please note, though – as it stands, some part of the country are not as well-equipped with charging points as they should be. This is improving but please keep this in mind for longer journeys. There are apps you can download (I used Zapmap) so you can plan where to stop, but something to note, is that – especially at service stations – you can arrive to find a queue of cars waiting for one or two chargers, meaning a long wait on the side of the M4. The charge lasts a long time when you’re city-driving but on the motorway, it can drain quite quickly. Aside from the service stations needing to get their act together, the van was a delight to drive. The steering was light, the bass was heavy and the vibes were vibing. And the best part? We were driving the streets guilt-free.
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If you were inspired by this eco-friendly trip, here is some info for you to enjoy: Volkswagon ID Buzz – from £58,915 Stay at Titanic Spa – overnight from £179pp
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